Michelangelo sketch has fetched $23 million at Christie’s, more than ten times its initial estimate, per inkl.com.
The drawing, a detailed study of a foot for the Libyan Sibyl on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, surfaced after an unsuspecting owner submitted a photograph for a routine valuation. The seller, based on the US West Coast, had inherited the piece from a grandmother; it had remained in the family’s possession since the late 1700s.
Andrew Fletcher, Christie’s Global Head of Old Masters, described the find as “one of the most memorable moments” of his career. The discovery is particularly significant given Michelangelo’s habit of burning his preparatory sketches to conceal the effort behind his masterpieces.
During the authentication process, specialist Giada Damen used infrared reflectography to uncover additional drawings on the reverse of the sheet, further confirming the artist’s hand.
The sketch is one of only three known studies for the Libyan Sibyl to survive. The others are held in the permanent collections of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Of the roughly 50 known studies for the Sistine Chapel, this is the first to ever appear at public auction. Experts unanimously confirmed its provenance after noting Michelangelo’s signature at the bottom left, which matches handwriting found on examples held at the Met.
